Symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Lyme disease in dogs
By Charlotte Francesca Stiles, DVM
The tick season is upon us and it’s more important than ever to protect your pet against ectoparasites and the diseases they carry. Lyme disease is a condition to consider when caring for your pet in the summer, and it’s good for pet parents to know a little bit about it.
So in this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know by breaking it down the following topics:
- Symptoms.
- Diagnosis.
- Treatment.
- Prevention.
Disclaimer: please refer to the information in this article as a guide only. If you think your dog may be unwell, it’s best to contact your veterinarian as soon as possible for proper diagnosis and treatment.
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease or Lyme borreliosis is a condition which humans and pets such as dogs, and more rarely cats, can suffer from. It’s caused by bacteria which are transmitted by a tick bite, usually (but not always) from a particular species of tick called Ixodes scapularis (the black legged or deer tick).
Ticks spread Lyme borreliosis by feeding on humans or animals infected with the disease, and then pass it onto new hosts when taking a fresh blood meal. This means that animals or humans can’t catch Lyme disease directly from each other, only from ticks who are infected with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi.
Humans and animals typically become infected after spending time outside in nature, where they are exposed to ticks, we’ll talk more about how to protect your pet against ticks later.
Dog Lyme disease symptoms
Symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs can vary depending on which organs in your pet’s body are affected. It’s also good to be aware that not all dogs who have Lyme disease show symptoms.
We’ve listed some examples of Lyme disease symptoms below:
- Decreased appetite.
- Lethargy (being more quiet than usual).
- Pain when moving.
- Enlarged lymph nodes.
As you can see, the above symptoms are pretty non-specific, which means that they can be shown in a range of different conditions and diseases. The best thing to do is seek veterinary advice as early as possible if you notice something abnormal in your pet.
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Lyme disease diagnosis
Diagnosing Lyme disease can be pretty complicated especially as in many cases dogs don’t show signs of the disease. Additionally, some dogs may test positive for the disease but have no signs or vice versa. To make matters more complicated, some other tick-related diseases can also show similar symptoms as Lyme disease.
Diagnosis of Lyme disease usually involves a veterinarian undertaking a combination of the following:
- A complete and thorough history from pet parents - detailed information about your pet’s condition, exposure to ticks, parasite treatment, symptoms and behavior.
- Diagnostic tests - this involves your vet taking a blood or tissue sample from your pet and sending it for analysis.
- Clinical examination- checking your pet’s vital signs and their general condition.
As always, if you think your pet may be sick, it’s best to take them to your veterinarian as soon as possible, as early diagnosis and treatment increases the chances of your pet making a thorough recovery.
Lyme disease treatment for dogs
If your veterinarian thinks that your pet may have Lyme disease, their treatment can vary depending on the clinical signs of the animal and are usually symptomatic. We’ve listed some examples below:
- Analgesia - to help alleviate any pain your pet may be feeling
- Appetite stimulants - to encourage your pet to start eating again if they have lost their appetite.
- Antiemetics - to help stop your pet from feeling sick
- Intravenous fluid therapy - to help rehydrate your pet, especially if they haven’t been eating or drinking.
Aside from symptomatic treatment, antibiotics are also usually used, often for a period of one month to help get rid of the bacteria.
Preventing Lyme disease in dogs
A tick needs to be attached to its host for 24 hours in order to transmit Lyme disease. This means, one of the ways you can reduce the chance of your pet getting Lyme disease is to check them regularly and thoroughly for ticks.
If you do find a tick on your dog, you’ll want to remove it straight away, as the faster you remove it, the less likely it is for your pet to be infected by a tick transmitted disease. This is because it usually takes a tick 24 hours to take a blood meal, (this is the way in which ticks can transmit diseases to your pet. You can do this by using a special tick remover which allows you to carefully remove the tick completely. When removing ticks from your pet, it’s important not to squeeze the tick’s body, this is because doing so may cause blood from the tick to go back into your pet’s body.
However, no matter how thoroughly you check your pet, there is always a chance that you may miss a tick. Veterinarians recommend protecting your pet against parasites as far as is possible by doing the following:
- Spot-on treatments - these deposit formulations in your pet’s skin that are designed to kill ectoparasites such as ticks and fleas when they bite your pet. They usually last for around a month.
- Oral medication - these are tablets which work in a similar way to spot-on treatments and can last anything from 1-3 months.
- Repellent collars - repellent collars contain ingredients designed to repel ticks. They can be quite effective at reducing the number of ticks which crawl onto your dog’s face, however are unlikely to provide an effective repellent for the whole body and should be used in combination with one of the other methods.
- Avoidance - walking in areas with long grass where ticks like to live can increase your pet’s chances of coming into contact with the disease.
- Vaccination - vaccinating your pet against Lyme disease can help reduce the severity of infection if they are bitten by an infected tick.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article about Lyme disease in dogs. Understanding Lyme disease and its prevention helps reduce the chances of your pet getting sick.